Q: How do I know when it's time to cut my relaxed hair?

Another question from myspace!

Good morning, I spoke with a classmate who recommended your website, and I saw that you are on myspace. Anyhow, I have relaxed hair, and I have made the decision to grow out my natural hair...I am at a lost. It will be two months since I have last had a relaxer! I am excited, and I am wanting to know what I should do while my hair is changing. I do not want to cut my hair for personal reasons. Nevertheless, I wanted to know will I know the time to when it is time to cut my relaxed hair? I really didn't know I was going to have to cut my hair in the long run, but I am not changing my mind because I am happy with the decision I have made. I wanted to know if getting braids or twists for a while will help my hair because I don't want to experience hair loss or scalp damage? My hair is usually dry in the winter, and the grease I have purchased (its the grease mama and 'nem' used to press my hair ages ago :) I am not sure I should use. Do you have any suggestions of what types of products I should use? I am going through this process alone, and I really do not have any one that is telling me how I should take care of my hair since I am use to knowing how to take care of relaxed hair. I am sorry for this long message. I had so many questions for you.

My response:

First of all, congratulations on your decision to go natural! There are quite a lot of women who would rather not cut their relaxed hair off all at once. It is a very personal decision. Likewise, you will know when it is time to let it go. You will feel it, and you will cut it. There are a number of ways women know when it's time - they experience a lot of breakage, they get tired of trying to style the two different textures, their natural hair reaches the length they want, or they suddenly get a burst of courage.

During the time you are transitioning, there are really two key things to focus on: 1) you will need to keep your hair moisturized, and 2) the point where your relaxed hair meets your natural hair is very fragile. You want to wear the simplest styles possible with as little manipulation as possible. Something "tied down" like a bun or cornrows are good options. Styles that disguise the two textures and don't require combing like a wet set are also good. Check out Natural Hair Photos for a few pictures of transition styles.

Braids and twists are fine during your transition. If you are planning to use extensions, it's probably best to go to a natural hair stylist to have them done versus a braiding salon. Theoretically, a natural hair care salon will understand what you are trying to accomplish and give more consideration to the overall health of your hair. When you get braids done improperly, unfortunately they can cause scalp damage and hair loss. When my sister was transitioning, she learned how to do extension braids and cornrows herself. It may be easier than you think. Try Braids by Breslin, Taliah Waajid, or Khamit Kinks for braiding videos.

Use a moisturizing shampoo, moisturizing conditioner, leave in conditioner, moisturizing styling products...there is really no such thing as hair that is too moist for a transitioner. Sorry, but I have to say you should take that grease and toss it, or use it to fix squeaky doors...seriously the petroleum is not good for our skin or hair. It clogs and coats instead of penetrating or moisturizing. Stick to natural products as much as possible, which can be tough to find in the drug store. A few of my favorites are Mia Simone's Boutique, CURLS, and Kinky Curly, all available online. I also use Elucence moisturizing shampoo which I like a lot. For homemade products, I use vegetable glycerin and castor oil mixed with water.

I hope I have answered your questions, and I wish you the best of luck in your journey.

Peace, Kaya

www.NaturallyYouMagazine.com
kcasper@NaturallyYouMagazine.com

Q: Where can I find a good hair salon in DC?

I received this message on Myspace recently:

I hope all is well! Funny thing, I was searching around on the Naturally You! Magazine website, trying to find a section that could tell me about some decent natural hair salons in DC. I was actually trying to find one that someone may have left some favorable feedback on (I'm being very wishful!)

I know you are very busy keeping us up to speed on EVERYTHING, but could you throw a couple of bones my way and let me know where I should be looking on your site?

I have about 2 inches of hair now, and this past weekend I SQUEEZED my hair into some knots in medium sized sections~I got some really nice reactions but I would like to 'knot' do this myself and get someone who can part really well and do it 100% on point.

Ok~sorry to ramble on and on. Thanks for any advice you may have. If you want to put this in your blog (where it belongs!), please feel free!

Thanks! Olivia

My response:

Hi Olivia, thanks for the note. There are lots of styles you can do on your hair. Flat twists, two strand twists, twist outs, cornrows, puffs, a basic fro, knots (as you've discovered), etc. Here is a list of natural hair salons in DC on our website. Naturally You! has worked with Camille Robbins and Farika Broadnax in the past. They are both very knowledgeable, and even better, nice people. Pamela Ferrell is also a very well known stylist and natural hair care entreprenuer in the area.

I hope this helps!

Peace, Kaya

www.NaturallyYouMagazine.com
kcasper@NaturallyYouMagazine.com

Q: How can I style my long natural hair?

I received this message on myspace recently:

I can't stand to spend almost $100 just to get my hair done in styles that i could do if i saw a picture and practiced at home. (i'm telling you, i refuse to get my hair done in BK, NY because it costs sooo much $$$!) I have natural hair (as you can see in my pics) but it's getting so hard to manage, especially now that it's getting longer (when i blow it out, it's a little longer than shoulder length) and when i don't blow it out, because of the length, it tends to get tangles and matted very easily. i often blow it out and end up wearing it in a pony tail afro puff...but it doesn't last long. I also have a pretty young looking face, so i would like to do styles that give a little maturity (not much...just a little spice, you know?)...can you suggest any websites that i can look at that have lots of pics of ideas i can try on my own hair? how about magazines that regularly publish various styles (natural, not necessarily extensions and weaves) that maybe i can try? i don't want to lock my hair...just keep it natural... please help a sista out...things are getting hectic...i've even thought about cutting it off only because i can't handle it anymore! lol.

HELP!!! :O)

My response:

Hey sis, I can definitely relate to your hair getting a bit out of hand as it gets longer. As my fro gets longer, there is no more dabbing on some Carol's Daughter and brushing or combing through. For me, most of the time I just rock a wash/rinse and go fro, so I still keep things very simple though there is a lot more hair. My second favorite super easy style is the "shrunken puff" - no blowing out required. My hair is a bit longer than it is in these pics and these two styles are still working for me.

People often think I am younger than I am as well (I hope it stays that way for both of us!). I find wearing more "mature" clothing and jewelry help me look a bit more spicy. :-) Also, I think I look older with my fro than I do with braids and sometimes twists, depending on how they're styled. One style I like that is relatively easy and not too young looking is my chunky fro with a panty hose headband.

For more styles, try Natural Hair Photos and check out the Natural Beauties page on the Naturally You! website. Visit Roshini.net and Motowngirl.com for even more. For magazines, of course I have to recommend back issues or emagazines of Naturally You!.

Peace, and much luck. Kaya

www.NaturallyYouMagazine.com
kcasper@NaturallyYouMagazine.com